Investigation after female staff at Eiffel Tower replaced by men for religious visit

An investigation has been launched in France following the replacement of female staff at the Eiffel Tower by male colleagues for a visit by a Hindu religious group. The delegation, consisting of around 100 members from the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), visited the iconic landmark in Paris on Saturday.

According to staff union representative Diane Davoine, women were asked to leave their workspaces and felt humiliated by the treatment. As a result, the tower closed on Monday, with staff members staging a strike to express their outrage.

Ariel Weil, the president of the company that runs the Eiffel Tower and also the mayor of Paris Centre, blamed its managers for being "a bit overzealous" in complying with the request without considering whether it was inappropriate. Weil described the incident as "totally shocking and unacceptable" and stated that an internal investigation will determine responsibility and prevent such occurrences in the future.

During the visit on Saturday, staff at the monument reported that female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present. The Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), which operates the Eiffel Tower, had previously stated that the conditions imposed on female staff were not aligned with its values or the principles of equality between men and women.